Dirigible ball projector



Aug. 16, 1955 E. G. HENRY 2,715,531

DIRIGIBLE BALL PROJECTOR Filed Feb. 10, 1949 13- ll 11 4 ,8 ml 10 HI! WWW. 13 420 ,435 12 21 7 20 26 .3! 26 Z3 "";55} 50 .43 42 44%! 29 .2521/272 for.

DIRIGEBLE BALL PROJECTOR Earle G. Henry, Wilmette, 111., assignor to Raymond T. Moloney, Chicago, 111.

Application February 10, 1949, Serial No. 75,537

6 Claims. (Cl. 273-129) This invention has as its principal object a provision of improvements in ball projectors or shooters for pinball and similar ball-rolling and amusement games.

A more particular object is the provision of a dirigible ball projector which is adjustable at the will of the player relative to a plurality of axes for locating the projector variously with respect to a ball-rolling field, particularly one which is inclined toward the projector, so that the player may position the projector at a point at. which he expects a ball to arrive, for the purpose of projecting or reprojecting said ball over the playing field with respect to some form of target or scoring objective thereon.

A further object is the provision in a ball'rolling game of an inclined ball-rolling surface or apron adapted to have one or more balls released onto the upper reaches thereof, and a dirigible ball projector situated at a lower edge of said apron, together with means mounting said projector for travel transversely across the downward path of balls on the apron, and to rock about an axis parallel with the axis of transverse movement aforesaid, and further, to pivot about an axis transverse of the firstmentioned two axes, such that the projector may be quickly adjusted by the player to follow the movement of a ball toward any particular spot on the lower edge of the apron so that said ball may be projected or reprojected up onto the playing field or apron if the player has been skillful enough to locate the projector properly.

Additional objects relate to provision of. transparent and other shield means for the projector, such that the manipulations thereof may be observed by the player while obviating access to the interior of the game as a precaution of fraudulent manipulation or vandalism.

Additional objects and aspects of novelty and utility in the invention pertain to details of the construction and operation of the illustrative embodiment described hereinafter in view of the annexed drawing in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary horizontal section through a game apparatus utilizing the novel projector;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section through said game apparatus with the projector unit shown in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken longitudinally of the game apparatus through the projector and shield means therefor;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional detail through the lower end of the ball-rolling apron showing a modification of the latter.

In Fig. 1 there is shown the lower or discharge end of a ball-rolling apron 10 having opposite flanges or side walls 11 directing the downward travel of a ball B toward the lower edge 12 of the apron from which, in this embodiment, the ball or balls may escape into a return means (not shown) of conventional form for return to play to the upper end of apron 10 by means Well known in the art, and hence not shown herein.

Said apron or inclined ball field 10 is housed in a conventional cabinet having opposite side walls 13, and, as in Fig. 3, a front wall plate 14 serving to close off the United States Patent ice front end of the machine in the region of the projector cooperably with a transparent dome 15 of plastic or other transparent material.

The dirigible projector unit consists preferably of a rockable bracket comprising a front plate 18 (Fig. 1) Welded to a pair of side plates 19, each said plate being pivotally supported as at 20 on pin means fixed to plates 21 on the inner walls of the cabinet.

As in Fig. 3 the main face plate 18 has a relatively median portion flanked by upper and lower curved edge portions 18A, each said edge portion having an inturned guard lip 18B, so that said main shield structure substantially blocks access to the interior of the machine at all positions of rocking movement of the main shield structure about its axis through the pivots 20.

Extending in parallelism with the rocking axis of the unit through pivots 20 is a slide rod 22 (Fig. 1) staked into the plates 19 as at 23.

A traveling carrier or bracket in the form of a stamped plate 25 is provided with opposite perforate cars 26 slideably engaging rod 22; a handle rod 27 is staked into upset lug 28 on the plate and projects outwardly of the main guard or face plate 18 through a large horizontal slot 18C Fig. 2) therein, and terminates in a pistol grip or like handle 29.

The ball projector or shooter consists of a plunger 30 (Fig. 1) having a headed end 31 for impact with the ball B and a handle knob 32 grasped by the player in manipulation thereof; this plunger is slideably seated in a sleeve 33 fixed in a bracket 34, which is pivotally mounted as at 35 (Figs. 1 and 3) on the carrier plate 25. A coil spring 36 is tensioned by withdrawal of the plunger by the player who releases the plunger to be driven by the spring against ball B, there being additional spring means 36A exteriorly of the sleeve to cushion the driving return of the plunger.

It will now be apparent that the projector carriage 25 may be slid along rod 22 transversely of the apron 10 and the general downward travel of ball thereover by appropriate manipulation of a hand grip 29; moreover the projector proper may be pivoted about the point 35 by manipulation of the knob 32, which the player also grasps in actuating the projecting plunger; and, in addition to the foregoing two possible movements, the entire projector unit or assembly may be rocked on pivot pins 20.

Accordingly, the player may move the projector transversely of the playing field or apron to follow the downward meander of a ball with the object of skillfully locating the projecting plunger head 31 at the place where it is expected that the ball will arrive, and, in addition, the entire unit may be rocked about the main axis through pins 20 to elevate or depress the projecting plunger in a vertical component of adjustment which is capable of lofting the ball or driving it hard-on, and at the same time the angular set of the projector and bracket 34 about pivot pin 35 affords a third directive projecting component, all of which permits directing the ball in a great variety of plays.

Additional shield means is provided for the angular adjustment of the projector in a horizontal plane; this means includes, Fig. 1, a first thin flexible guard strip 40 provided with opposite curves 40A terminating in the limbs 40B. Said guard strip is provided with a horizontal slot 40C which accommodates the pistol grip rod 27.

Behind the first guard strip 40 is a second guard strip 42 (Fig. 1) which is curved as at 42A to terminate in substantially rigid limbs 42B provided with turned-over ears 42C slideably guiding the limb 40B of the flexible sliding strip 40 as the latter shifts back and forth responsive to pivotal movement of the projector and particularly the sleeve portion 33 thereof (about point 35).

Retaining strips 43 (Figs. 2 and 3) are fixed in spaced relation to the main plate 18 to provide a seating channel for the outer and inner guard strips 40 and 42 and main- 7 'tain the assembly in conditionso that the strip 40 may slide back and forth as aforesaid.

Operation The embodiment just described is, intended for operation with conventional ball-feeding apparatus well-known in the art for releasing balls, preferably one at a time, ,at' V the upper end of the apron' 10 to gravitate theredown toward the lower edge '12 in order that the player may slide the projecting unit along rod 22 to locate the plunger head 31 at a point to strike the ballB before it has a chance to escape over edge 12 and drop onto a returning floor 48 (Fig.2 or 3).

If the player is successful in locating the projector to strike the ball he may additionally regulate the force and direction of projection by exercise of skill in determining the angular displacement of the projector proper about pivot 35, and also in the vertical angular adjustment of the entire unit about-pivots 20, and also by selective tensioning of the spring 36. V

In a modified form of game,'as shown in Fig. 4, the lower end of the apron 10 is provided with ball-retaining lip 12A which prevents the ball B from escaping over the .edgeof the apron in order that said ball may be repeatedly projected and reprojected relativeto some target objective (not shown) in the upper reaches of the apron In the latter type of game the curvature of,lip,12A may be calculated to permit some but not all balls to escape from the apron, depending upon their'velocity of downward travel, so that a player has extended opportunity to manipulatethe projector relative to balls which cannot at once escape;

I claim: 1. A dirigible, shielded, ball projecting 'mechanism 7 comprising a'face-plate and shield bracket including oppo- Qsite offset arms projecting from opposite ends of saidplate, means pivotally supporting said arms for rocking V movement of'said shield bracket about a horizontal axis,

a slide rod' supported between said arms parallel with said axis and spaced therefrom toward said plate, a ball projector slidable on said rod and including a manipulating portion projecting through a horizontallyrextensive slot in said plate, and horizontally shiftable shield means for said projectorslidably supported on said bracket to 'close said slot in allpositions of adjustment of said pro- 0nd shield means including a plate portion slidably mounted on said bracket for movement with said projector in movements of the same with said carriage, said second shield-plate portion including a horizontal slot narrower and shorter than the slot in said first shieldplate to accommodate pivotal movement of the pro-,

jector relative to said carriage.

3. Ball projecting apparatus including a carriage, a hand grip on said carriage, aspring projecting plunger mounted on said carriage, a rod mount onwhich said carriage slides lengthwise along the rod mount; bracket means supporting said rod mount in a horizontal plane and means mounting said bracket means to rock about an axis spaced in parallelism to thelengthwise axis of said rod mount; a ball-supporting panel and means fixedly mounting the same in position-before saidrod mount and plunger and in a plane inclined toward the latter with a lower marginal edge portion extending along a substantial portion of the lengthwise extent of said rod mount to support a ball in difierent positions along said extent whereby to require sliding adjustment of said carriage relative thereto for projection of the ball by operation of said plunger.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 and further characterized in that said plunger is mounted on said carriage to pivot about a vertical axis. i

5. Apparatus according to claim-4 in which there is additionally provided a shield structure for said carriage and ball supporting panel, said shield structure including stationary shield-strip-means mounted to move with said a bracket and slidable shield-strip means mounted to move slidably in approximate parallelism with said stationary strip means responsive to sliding'movement of said car- 7 riage, said stationary'and slidable strip means having aligned slot formations'through which portions of said plunger and hand grip project for manual engagement and manipulation, said projecting hand grip portion engaging a portion of the said slot formation in the slidable strip to impart sliding movement thereto responsive to similar movements of the carriage.

6. 6A dirigible ball projecting device comprising a I U-shaped bracket and means mounting the same to jector and all positions of said bracket. a V

2., For use with a cabinet-enclosed ball game apparatus, a dirigible ball projecting mechanism comprising a shield bracket including a face plate, a pair of lateral arms fixed at opposite ends of said plate means support- ,ing said arms in a wall of the game cabinet for rocking movement of said bracket up and down about a horizontal axis, a slide member mounted between said'arms and spaced in parallelism with said axis, a carriage slidable horizontally on said slide member, said plate having a horizontally extensive slot opposite said carriage, a ball projector in said game cabinet and pivoted on said carriage and having a manipulating portion projecting outwardly of the cabinet through said plate slot, and a secpivot about a horizontal axis passing through both of the arms thereof near their respective ends; a slide rod extending between said arms in parallelism with said axis at a position between the latterand the bight of the bracket, a carriage slidable on said rod substantially along the length thereof, and a ball projector mounted on said carriage.

References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Aske 'May,24, 1898 

